Railway-fare-receipt ticket



UNITED STATES,

PATENT OFFICE.

CLARENCE W. HEATH AND WILLIAM P. CONLIN, OF BELLEVUE BOROUGH, PENNSYL- VANIA. Y

RAILWAY-FARE-RECEIPT TICKET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 28, 1920.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CLARENCE W. HEATH V and WILLIAM P. CoNLiN, citizens of the United States, and residing in the borough of Bellevue, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invcntedror discovered new, useful, and Improved RailwayyFare-Receipt Tickets, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention consists in certain new and useful improvements inrailway fare receipt tickets of the type wherein the names of the stations are given in natural sequence in one column, termed the departure column, while in a parallel column, termed the destination column the said stations are named in reverse sequence, and opposite each station name in both columns are placed numbers of such relative value that when the number opposite the name of station in the departure column is subtracted from the number opposite the name of a station in the destination column, the result will be the cash fare between said stations. The ticket is split between the two columns and when a passenger pays his fare, the conductor tears the departure column across under the name of the station at which the passenger embarked and the destination column under the name of the station where the passenger is to disembark, so that by deducting the bottom number of the departure column from the bottom number of the destination column, the result will be the exact fare paid. This end of the ticket thus detached is handed to the passenger as a fare receipt, while the remainder or stub of the ticket is turned into the railway auditor as a check.

As described and claimed in Letters Patent oit' the United States Number 1,325,941, issued to us on December 23, 1919, such a ticket may also be provided with a cash fare column wherein the different cash fares are displayed in sequence. ofvalue, so that when the conductor also tears the fare column across under the amount of the cash fare paid, then the bottom number of the tare column on the passengers receipt will be the same as the result of subtracting` the bottom number in the departure column from the bottom number in the destination column in said receipt. The advantage of this ticket is not only that it indicates on the receipt end and also on the auditors stub the amount of fare paid by the passenger and the trip for which such fare was paid, but it is impossible for the conductor tb salvage a receipt, thrown away by a passenger, and retear it for reissue to another passenger for a different passage.

In our said Letters Patent, we also provided for taking care of overlaps which occur when the fare from one or more departure stations to two or more destination stations is the same. For convenience we have termed such departure station or stav4 tions overlapping departure stations, and such destination stations overlapped destination stations. It is evident that under such circumstances a departure station may be overlapping in relation to a certain number of destination stations and may be non-overlapping or as we prefer to term it normal to the remaining destination stations named on the ticket. It is also evident that certain destination stations may be overlapped by one or more departure stations but at the same time non-overlapped or normal to the remaining departure st tions.

However, very frequently, as in the case of the illustration used in the accompanying drawings, the fare from two or more stations to any given one of the remaining stations on the railway is always equal. Such departure stations we term constant overlap departure stations. Likewise the fare to two or more stations from any given departure station is equal, thus constituting constant overlap destination Such constant overlaps generally arise from proximity, the journey to or from said overlaps being to all practical purposes of 'the same length.

@ne of the objects which we have in view in the present invention is the provision for the constant overlaps which will enable the exact fare paid to be indicated by the difference between the bottom member of the departure column and that of the destination column when the fare receipt is detached, but will, at the same time, render it impossible to retear the receipt tc indicate a fare paid between other stations than the original departure and destination stations.

We effect this object by grouping the associated constant overlaps together and giving them a single number, preferably irinted in larger type than the numberof the normal stations.

stations, so that when the receipt is once torn to indicate such number it cannot be retorn without indicating an entirely different number, thus changing the result of subtracting the bottom number ofthe departure column from the bottom number ofthe destination column,` which result must always equal the cash fare paid, as indicated, where a cash fare column is provided, at the bottom of the cash fare column. Y Where by special'franchise or arrangement within certain limits other fares are' established than such that can be indicated by normal numbers assigned tothe various stations in question in destination columns, we provide al' special blockin the fare column wherein the real cash fare collected is indicated by the bottom number in said column in the torn receipt, thisy number indicating the real fare paid instead'of said fare being indicated by the difference between the last number in the departure column and the last number in the destination column. l/Ve are thus able to use the same ticket for trafiicin the given directions over the entire road, andk special tickets for use in certain zones are Y not required.

In the vaccompanying drawings, which are merely intended to illustrate' the principles of our invention without limiting the' scope thereof to the eXact arrangement shown, Figure l is a view showing our improved ticket torn to indicate a trip between a normal departure station and a normal destination station; Fig. 2 is a similarview showing the ticket torn to indicate a trip between a constant overlap departure station to a normal destination station; Fig. 8 is a similar view showing the ticket torn to indicate a trip from a normal departure station to Aa constant overlap destination station, while Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the ticket torn to indicate a trip' for which the fare is other than the difference between the departure number of the departure station and the destination number of the destination station.

The following is a detailed description of the invention. Y

The ticket is a strip of paper upon the upper end, A, of which is printed the name of the railway, the direction of travel in which the ticket is to be used, such Northbounth and fysuch data and directions as may be considered necessary for the information of the passengers and conductors. The lower' end, B, of the ticket is preferably a narrow perforated strip by means of which the tickets may be bound tog-ether in books or pads forv convenience. The intermediate portion of the ticket, between the portions A" and B, is slit or Acut longitudinally into two, or preferably three portions or parallel columns, C, D and E.

the departure andl isaiasi? their natural sequence in the ldirection of travel except the destination terminal. Column D is a reversely arranged list of the stations with the departure terminal omitted at the lower end. s.

Opposite each departure station vis printed a number, and also opposite each destination station is printed a number', the numbers being of such relative value that the result of subtracting the number' opposite a station in the departure column from the number opposite' another station in the destination column vwill be the cash fare between said two stations. Thisof course does not hold true of special zone arrangements, explanation of which will be made later.

Tn the ticket indicated in the* drawings,V the fare increases, except within special Zone limitsas will bedescribed, are attlie rate of five cents, but it will be understood that-where the fare increases are of less or greater, or varying amounts,the'values of the numbers are adjusted accordingly, so

Vthe case of Grreenawalt77 and ASebringf and in the case of Vards aiid^MaXimo. This indicates that in the caseof the two stations Carsons and Damascus, the fares therefrom to any other given station on the line are equal. Thus we termr Carsons and Damascus constant overlapslras departure stations. The other'pairsof departure stations named arefalso constant overlap departure stations to eachother. Y Referring to the destinationl column, D, Grisez and i/Iaximo; Johnsons and Sebring; Greenawalt andBeloit; VBlackburn Stop and Damascus will be found grouped together with but a single destination number' in each case. In former tickets of this type, such overlaps were either not provided for or were taken care of by other means than shown herein. In the present ticket we print opposite the names of a pair of' constant overlaps the proper number but once repeated, anduse for that Ypurpose numerals of sufficient height to oppose both names:

Column E is the fare column, consisting of two blocks, one above the other. The lower block, No. 2, contains in'downwardly iioV A i 1' l increasing sequence all or the tare amounts for trips in the given direction, excepting only the fare amounts within the special Zones, which are placed in order of their occurrence in the direction given in block No. l. It will be noticed that in the case ot Fig. l, to the right of column E the flare amounts are repeated in a parallel column E', stepped down one number from the amounts in column E. This parallel column E we prefer., to have printed in much smaller figures than the main fare amounts as the former are simply Jfor convenience of the auditor in checking. They are therefore only shown on one ligure in the drawings.

Referring now to Fig. l, the fare indicated is for a trip fromV Blackburn Stop to Louisville, for which the 'lare is GO cents. Thus the conductor upon receiving the proper amount ot money trom the passenger getting on at Blackburn Stop, tears, preferably by means of a sliding rule, column C as indicated below the words Blackburn Stop;7 column D, as indicated below the word Louisville and column E, below the amount 60. The bottom figure of column C on the upper portion ot the ticket, thus detached, is seen to be l5 while the bottom figure in column D on the upper portion of the ticket is 75, thus obtaining when the former is subtracted from the latter the result of 60 which is the same as that indicated at the bottom of column E. Thus the iiare is indicated by the difference between the lowest remaining number in column C and that orn column D which equals the Jfare as shown in the lowest remaining number in column E. The detached upperl portion the ticket torms the passengers receipt and is handed to him while the conductor hands in the stub to the auditor'itor checking. Owing to the step down on the column F, the top number in said column on the stub will be G0 or that at the bottom of the fare column ot' the passengers receipt, thus assisting the auditor in checking up. @wing to the varrangement of the station'names and numbers on the ticket, should the passenger throw the receipt away, it could not be salvaged by theconductor and be retorn for reissue Vi'or a trip between other stations, since no manner of retearing would produce a balance between the result, of subtracting the lower number in column C from the lowest number in column D, and the lowest number in column E.

Tn Fig. '2 we show the ticket torn to indicate a passage between Beloit, which is a constant overlap in the departure column with Naylors, and Hoppes. In such case the conductor tears the ticket under Beloit in column C and under Hoppes in column D and under 30 in column E, the difference between Beloits departure number 20, now the lowest number in column C on the re` ceipt and Hoppes destination number 50, now the lowest number in column D on the receipt, being 30, the fare paid. Should the conductor salvage this receipt he would be unable to retear it to indicate a trip be` tween Naylors and Hoppes, for in so doing he would mutilate the departure number 2O in column C, which would convict -lim of fraud. In case the passenger was riding from Naylors, instead of Beloit, to l-loppes, the ticket would also be torn under Beloit to prevent mutilating the departure number 20.

In Fig. 3 we show the ticket cut to indicate a trip between a. normal departure station, Lake Park to Grisez, which is a constant overlap destination station paired with Maximo, in the column D. In such case the conductor tears column C under Lake Park, making the number 35 the lowest numbel in said column and the column D 'under Maximo making the number 60 the lowest number in said column D. He also tears column E below the number 25 which equals the result of subtracting Lake Parks departure Ynumber from Grisezs and Maximos destination number. The conductor cannot retear this receipt in any possible manner to obtain a correspondence between the last number in column with the result of subtracting the last number in column C 'from that of column D.

For a fare between the two numbers of a pair of constant overlaps the conductor tears the departure column under the proper departure number Yfor the departure station and the destination column under the destination number or" the destination station. He then tears block l of column E under the number lO, as no fare under l0 cents is supposed to be collected except within the special Zones hereinafter described. Frequently within certain zones either near the terminals or between intermediate points fares are collected, according to the terms of local franchises or by special consent or agreement, which cannot be indicated by subtracting the departure number of one station from the destination number of another station. Thus it happens in the illustration given that the local tare between Salem and Blackburn Hill is the 10 cents but ir0 the ticket were torn under Salem in the departure column and under Blackburn Hill in the destination column the difference between the last numbers in the two columns, or less O, would be 5. Again the actual fare collected between Alliance and Antrams is 6 cents, while a receipt torn, as above described, to show a trip between these two points would indicate a 5 cent fare paid. `To provide for such irregularities in tare rate, block No. l in column E is provided in which these special fare rates are listed,

lthe correct fare paid is indicated bythe last number in column E, or G. An explanation Yoil the methodV of indicating these special fares is usually printed in the head A of the ticket which forms part of the passengers receipt.

It will be noticed that only fares oi' l0 cents and over can be indicated in block No. 2 of column E and said block is used where the difference computed between the last numbers in columns C and D in the passengers receipt equals l0 cents or over. vWhere the difference between the last'numbers in columns C and D of the receipt is 5 cents or less than l() cents, as for instance the special Jfranchise fare between Louisville road and Canton, then when the departure column C is torn under Louisville road and the destination column D is torn -under Canton, block No. l of column E is torn under 5, the'bottom number in column E or' the receipt thus equaling the difference between the bottom numbers of columns C and D. lt is true that we could make 5 the top number in block 2 of column E and tear under such number, but in such case the conductor might salvage the passengers receipt and retear the same for a 10 cent fare, as tor instance a fare between Douds and Canton, tearing block l of column E under` l0. This would not be a properly torn ticket but might, and probably would, escape the attention of a casual passenger, as the conductor would go through the act of tearing.

g However, by placing the 5 in block l instead of block 2, so that'block 2 is used to indicate fares of l0 cents or more only, then, when columnv E Vis torn to show 5 cent `fare collected, the 10 has been eliminated and the column cannot be retorn to indicate l0 cents. Thus, to prevent any possibility of retearing, no number appearing iii block 2 of column E should be less than the greatest number in block 1 of column E.

ldlhat we desire to claim is:

l. le. railway fare receipt ticket conf-.prising a strip of paper having its intermediate portion slit to form Vparallel cclumns,one column being the departure column, contain.- ing the station names rin sequence et travel, and the other column being; the destination column, containing the station names in reverse sequence, and numbers associated in parallelism with the station names in each column, the relative valuesroi'l said numbers being such that the diierence between the number associated with a station name'in the departure column and the number associated with a station namefin the destination column equals the tare between said stations, and lin case of a constant overlap the common .number of said overlap group .roi stations beingprinted but once opposite said group, whereby when the departure'column is severed 'under the number` ot the departure station in the departure column and under the number of the destination station in the destination column the Iupper detached portion of the ticket 'forms a tare receipt w ierein the difference between tlie last number in thev departure column and the last number in. the destination column is the amount of tarecollected.y n

2. A railway 'are receipt ticket comprising a strip of paper having its intermediate portion slit to form-parallel columns, one column'being the departure column, containing the station names in sequence ot travel,

and the other column being the destinationy column, containing the station names in re-V verse sequence, and numbers associated in parallelism with the station names in each col-umn, .the relative-values of said numbers being such that the diierence between the number associated with a station name-in the departure column and the number ass-ociatedwith a station name inthe destination column equals the fare between said stations, and in case of a constant overlap the common number oit' said overlap group or". stations being printed but once in large numerals opposite said group, whereby when the departure column is severed undervthe number of the departure station in the de-` parture column and under the number of the Vdestination station in the destination column the upper detached portion of the ticket forms a fare receipt wherein the ditference between the last number in the departure column and the last number inthe destination column is the amount vof'iare collected. Y

3. A. railway fare receipt ticket comprisa strip of paper slit to form parallel columns, one column being the departure column, containingthe station names insequence of travel, another column, being the destination column, containing the station names in reverse sequence, and a third column being the fare column containing a list of fare amounts arranged in numerical sequence, and numbers associated in parallelism with the station names in the departure and destination columns, the relative values of said numbers beingsuch'tliat the difference between the numberl associated withV a Vstation name in the departure column and tween said stations, and in the case of a constant overlap the common number of said overlap groups being printed but once opposite said group, whereby when the departure column is severed under the number of the departure station, the destination column is severed under the number of the destination station, and the fare column is severed under the amount of fare paid, the upper detached portion of said ticket forms a fare receipt wherein the dilierence between the last number in the departure column and the last number in the destination column equals the fare paid as shown by the last number in the fare column.

4. A railway fare receipt ticket comprising a strip of paper slit to form parallel columns, one' column being the departure column, containing the station names in sequence of travel, another coliunn being the destination column, containing the station names in reverse sequence, and a third column being the fare column containing a list of fare amounts arranged in numerical sequence, and numbers associated in parallelism with the station names in the departure and destination columns, the relative values of said numbers being such that the difference between the number associated with a station name in the departure column and the number associated with a station name in the destination column equals the fare between said stations, and in the case of a constant overlap the common number of said overlap group being printed but once in large numerals opposite said group, whereby when the departure column is severed under the number of the departure station, the destination column is severed under the number of the destination station, and the fare column is severed under the amount of fare paid, the upper detached portion of said ticket forms a fare receipt wherein the dii'erence between the last number in the departure column and the last number inthe destination column equals the fare paid as Y shown by the last number in the iiare column.Y

5. A railway fare receipt ticket comprising a'strip of paper having its intermediate portion slit to form parallel columns, one

column being the Vdeparture column, containing the station names in sequence of travel, another column being the destination column, containing the station names in reverse sequence, and a third column being the fare column, consisting of two blocks, one block containing a list of special Zone fares and the other block containing a list of the remaining fares arranged in numerical order, and numbers associated in parallelism with the station names in the departure and destination columns, the relative values of said numbers being such that, except in the case of special zone fares, the difference between the number of a station in the departure column and the number of a station in the destination column equals the fare between said stations, whereby when the departure column is severed under the number of the departure station, the destination column is severed under the number of the destination station and the fare column is severed under the amount of fare paid in the second named block, the upper detached portion of said ticket forms a fare receipt wherein the difference between the last numbers in the departure and destination columns equals the fare collected as indicated by the last number in the fare column, but in the case of fares not computable by subtracting the number of the departure station .from the number of the destination station, the fare collected is indicated solely by the last number in the first named block in the fare column.

6. A railway fare receipt ticket comprising a strip of paper having its intermediate portion slit to form parallel columns, one column being the departure column, containing the station names in sequence of travel, another column being the destination column, containing the station names in reverse sequence, and a third column being the fare column, consisting of two blocks, the upper block containing a list of special zone fares and the lower block containing a list of the remaining fares arranged in numerical order, and numbers associated in parallelism with the station names in the departure and destination columns, the relative values of said numbers being such that, except in the case of special zone fares, the difference between the number of a station in the departure column and the number of a station in the destination column equals the fare between said stations, whereby when the departure column is severed under the number of the departure station, the destination column is severed under the number of the destination station and the lower block in the fare column is severed under the amount of fare paid, the upper detached portion ot said ticket forms a fare receipt wherein the difference between the last numbers in the departure and destination column equals the tare collected as indicated by the last number in the fare column, but in the case of fares not computable by subtracting the number of the departure station from the number of the destination station the fare collected is indicated solely by the last number in the upper block in the fare column.

Signed at Pittsburgh, Pa., this 13th day of January, 1920.

CLARENCE W. HEATH. WILLIAM P. CONLIN. 

